Chief Engineer, Fixed Wing

Mercer University • Warner Robins, GA

6d

About The Position

Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC), a research institute of Mercer University, provides high quality engineering, scientific, and technical support services to both government and private industry customers and is currently recruiting for a Chief Engineer for the Aircraft Directorate. The Chief Engineer performs all duties and responsibilities under the supervision of the respective technical director in accordance with policies, procedures, protocols, and controls that govern MERC operations as required to execute programs successfully within their product area.

Requirements

• US Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance.
• A Ph.D. in a relevant engineering field (e.g., EE, ME, AE, IE, SW, CE, Computer Science etc.) from an ABET accredited institution and 10 years of directly related technical experience; or a Master’s degree in same and 12 years of directly related technical experience; or an undergraduate degree in same and 13 years of directly related technical experience.
• Experience leading technical teams: 11 years with an advanced degree or 13 years with an undergraduate degree.
• Extensive experience in the designated industry including but not limited to: aerospace, electrical, software, environmental, biomedical, mechanical, and systems engineering.
• Experience leading teams of individuals from a variety of different backgrounds and disciplines.
• Knowledge of the principles of engineering, analysis, test, and design.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with an obsessive attention to detail.
• Able to collaborate and bridge the communication gap between the engineering team, service technicians, business development, operations staff, and clients, interfacing with each.
• Superior budgeting and cost management abilities, assessing estimated costs early in the program and bringing the actual costs within budget.
• Able to draft clear and comprehensive reports on assigned contracts, the use and allocation of resources, and the quality of each finished program.
• Possess technical acumen and the ability to troubleshoot on a variety of programs.
• Able to perform business development activities to include customer interface, estimating and scheduling, technical proposal development, and follow through.
• Additional requirements may be added as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in one or more of the following areas:
• Aircraft structural integrity including finite element analysis and/or computational fluid dynamics
• Aircraft Airworthiness
• Durability and Damage Tolerance Analysis
• Aircraft reliability and sustainment
• Aircraft instrumentation/flight data collection
• Loads / Environment Spectra Survey
• Health and Usage Monitoring System
• Nondestructive inspection and/or corrosion inspection

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the execution of all contractual efforts, including design, development, prototyping, production, operation, etc., as applicable. Sets the example for and advises all technical leads, and performs technical work on programs.
• Serves as the technical focal point for all contracts in their respective product areas.
• Responsible for identifying all technical resources required for the respective product area and works to hire, train, and equip the product area.
• The Chief Engineer, along with technical leads and program managers, shall work as an integrated program team to accomplish all contractual requirements and deliverables. The team must look holistically at programs and not just at the engineering aspect(s). Plans shall be devised for each phase of each program, to include identifying and hiring the required resources.
• Responsible for the accuracy and sufficiency of all engineering artifacts required to comply with MERC Standard Processes. Reviews the quality and effectiveness of the finished product and documents the Lessons Learned for completeness.
• Responsible for writing and obtaining performance documentation from program managers and technical leads for each team member at contract completion.
• Communicates with the Technical Director, the Director of Acquisition Strategy, the Sr. Director of Engineering and Programs, and the Executive Director and keeps them informed of all aspects of their programs, especially issues and challenges.
• Primary focal point to current customers within the respective product area and across MERC.
• Serves as the capture manager on contract opportunities; leads the proposal team in concert with the Director of Acquisition Strategy and the Senior Manager of Business Development.
• Manages the product areas engineering and technical team and oversees training of new employees in the product area.
• Justifies all budget and resource allocation recommendations to senior management for the product area.
• Provides capital investment requirements for the product area.
• Protects MERC competition-sensitive, proprietary information and intellectual property from those without a need-to-know.

Benefits

• MERC offers a generous benefits package including health and dental insurance, retirement, tuition reimbursement, vacation/sick leave accrual, and holiday pay.
• Mercer University offers a variety of benefits for eligible employees including comprehensive health insurance (for self and dependents), generous retirement contributions, tuition waivers, paid vacation and sick leave, technology discounts, schedules that allow for work-life balance, and so much more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree